WHO

Step forward Mark Sanford, former Republican governor of South Carolina, who is attempting to launch one of the great political comebacks of recent American political history. Sanford, you may remember, watched his job and marriage implode in the most spectacular style when he went missing in 2009 while hiking on the Appalachian trail. Except, in his case "Appalachian trail" meant holiday in Argentina and "hiking" meant dalliance with a mistress.

Not too surprisingly, Sanford is now divorced and an ex-governor. A little more surprisingly when it comes to major political sex scandals, he is now in a happy relationship with his lover-turned-fiancee Maria Belen Chapur. And, most surprisingly of all, Sanford is hoping to resurrect his political career by asking the notoriously conservative folks of South Carolina to send him to Washington as a congressman.

WHAT

This is Sanford's first television ad in which he has to reintroduce himself to the good people of South Carolina's First Congressional District. Given his recent past, a simple: "Hi, I'm Mark" probably won't cut it.

WHEN

The ad went up this week on local TV stations. It also got a lot of media coverage, including putting Sanford in front of CNN's Piers Morgan. Which is, in the end, a good thing as it allows Sanford a major platform in which to reinforce the ad's message: redemption.

WHERE

The district stretches along most of the South Carolina coast from the retirement communities around Myrtle Beach to the sophisticated foodie-paradise of Charleston. Though it is a veteran-heavy area, it is also a far less conservative and religious region than the rural South Carolina hinterlands. It is also a district that Sanford represented before he became governor, which is key: these people have voted for him before.

HOW

In this ad Sanford had two tasks. Firstly, why support him? Secondly, address the issue of the affair without making it the central talking point of his campaign (even though it is bound to be). In just 30 seconds this is not easy.

Objective one is quickly accomplished at the start with a bit of boiler plate anti-Washington sentiment that could come from a politician from either party. "Washington's math doesn't add up. And so, for years, while many have talked, I've fought to do something about it," he says in his homely, folksy accent while soft violins play in the background. "I've cut spending, reduced debt and made government more accountable," he adds, using words that anyone from Rand Paul to Barack Obama could get behind. So far, so good. But now comes the tricky part. How to deal with the "hiking the Appalachian Trail" issue.

To his credit, Sanford plunges in, though without getting specific (he knows he doesn't need to be and that's the right call). "More recently, I've experienced how none of us go through life without mistakes," he explains, teeing up his bid for redemption:

"But in their wake, we can learn a lot about grace, a God of second chances and be the better for it. In that light, I humbly step forward and ask for your help in changing Washington," he said.

Sanford is clever to frame this as a redemption tale, draped in the soft language of religious forgiveness. He knows his electorate and is in essence asking those without sin to cast the first stone (or, in this case, attack ad or hostile newspaper column). He is also showing an awareness of the American fondness for comeback stories and second chances. Finally, and perhaps most importantly of all, is when he says "humbly". Humility is that rarest of political virtues. Sanford's use of the word is almost a shock. But it works. No one doubts Sanford's task is a big one (though he is likely favourite in a deeply fractured Republican field of 16 rivals). This ad is a very solid first step on the most unlikely of comeback trails.